Page 8 - AAA MAY - JUNE 2015 Online Magazine

FEATURE SAFETY

Buckling Under Pressure Line ups of aircraft are
becoming the norm not
the exception.
Pilots are getting stressed about being stressed PHOTO: Geoffrey Thomas
By geoffrey Thomas

“MY MIND CLICkS ON AND OFF. I TRY and yell “I am as mad as hell! I can’t take across the globe and have worked in many
letting one eyelid close at a time while I this anymore.” countries.
prop the other with my will. But the effect The performance won Finch a best All are well known to the author
is too much, sleep is winning, my whole actor Oscar - but are pilots acting up? and selected for their moderate, even
body argues dully that nothing, nothing life Well not according to a 2008 NASA retiring views on the workplace. All have
can attain is quite so desirable as sleep. report The Effects of Life Stress on Pilot come from legacy carriers and through
My mind is losing resolution and control.” Performance authored by James Young airline bankruptcy and layoffs have found
The famous words from Charles which cites Bowles, Ursin, and Picano themselves working on the other side of the
Lindbergh about his historic 1927 solo (2000) who found that “stress researchers railway tracks with low cost airlines (LCCs).
transatlantic flight are not quite the lament have recognized that the pilot has one of Captain Russell James (all pilot names
of today’s low cost airline pilot but evidence the most stressful jobs.” have been changed) cites something as
is mounting that the significant increase Career Cast ranks being a pilot as simple as getting to work as a stressor.
in work and life stressors combined with the fourth most stressful job behind fire “When I first started flying we would drive
gruelling work schedule is turning flying fighters, enlisted personnel and Military up to a car park beside the terminal, sign
into a repetitive chore for many. Generals. in and just walk out to the plane. Now our
The mental state of pilots has been And adding to that increased stress staff car park is 10km away and we get a
brought into sharp focus after Andreas is life stressors with research showing shuttle bus through the traffic and then
Lubitz programmed his Germanwings that the general population feel twice as face the security lines – sure these are
A320 to fly into the French Alps on March stressed as just 30 years ago. little things but we do it every day!”
24 killing 150. There is no doubt from Asian Airlines But these are actually not little things,
Interviewing three pilots with similar and Airport’s research that pilots, as a 2005 study at Heathrow found. The
careers paths for this article was sobering, particularly of low cost airlines, are very study found that travellers passing through
if not troubling, and possibly a reflection stressed and even depressed about their Heathrow suffered higher stress levels
of Peter Finch in the 1976 film Network lot with one saying literally “I can’t take than fighter pilots, Formula One racing
playing news anchor Howard Beale this anymore.” drivers, parachutists and riot police.
imploring viewers to go to their windows The three pilots selected are from The study was conducted by Dr David

8 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS MAY / JUNE 2015 WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM